Sterilizer



NOV. 17, 1942. A Q MlcKELSEN 2,302,241

STERILIZER Filed Dec, 9, 1940 Inventor Amon@ 0. Mickelsen Patented Nov.17, 1942 UNITED STATES earner!" OFFICE Antone 0. Mickelsen, Portland,Oreg. Application December 9, 1940, Serial No. 369,303

4 Claims.

v This invention relates to sterilizers for surgical and dentalinstruments in which a sterilizing solution at ordinary temperature isto be employed, such as the sterilizer described in my United StatesLetters Patent No. 2,165,497, issued July 11, 1939.

An object of this invention is to provide such a sterilizer in which asterilizing solution may be retained and the sterilizer sealed up andkept air- 'ght at all times except when the instruments are beinginserted into or removed from the ster- 'ilizer.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a sterilizer for whichonly a single liquid-containing vessel will be required.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simplied sterilizerof the type above-mentioned which would be comparatively inexpensive `tomanufacture and which can therefore be sold much more cheaply than thesterilizer described in my above-mentioned Patent No. 2,165,497, andmuch more cheaply than other sterilizers of the same general type now onthe market.

The manner in which my simplied sterilizer is constructed and used willbe apparent from the following brief description of the same withreference to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

-2 Figure 1 is a side elevation of my VsterilizerV with the coverremoved, showing the normal position of the sterilizer when not in use;

Figure`2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and v.Figure3 is a front or end elevation taken from the right of Figure l. Y

My sterilizer includes a container or vessel i of non-corrosive materialand preferably of glass. I have found it more practical to use a glassask for this purpose, the fiask, as apparent from Figures 1 and 2, beinggenerally elliptical in crosssection With one cross-sectional dimensionconsiderably greater than the other. While the container or vessel I formy sterilizer might also be rectangular in cross-section, I consider aiiask of generally elliptical cross-section, as shown, to be morepractical for such purpose.

At one end the vessel or flask l is provided with a neck 4 and opening2, there being no other opening into the vessel. As will be observed inFigure 3, the diameter of the neck 4 is exactly the same as the minorcross-sectional dimension or thickness of the vessel. The outside of theneck is tted with threads 3 (Figure 1) in order that a 55 cap (notshown) may be secured on the neck to seal the opening 2.

An important feature of the vessel or flask il- Ylustrated resides inthe fact that the neck 4 is olfset and, when the vessel is in theposition illustrated, is considerably nearer the top lateral edge thanthe bottom. The purpose of having the neck and opening so located is topermit a sucient quantity of sterilizing liquid 9 to be kept in thevessel or ask while the sterilizer remains in the normal horizontalposition and when the cap is removed for the insertion of instrumentsinto or the removal of instruments from the sterilizer.

For supporting instruments in the sterilizer before and after thesterilizing process I provide a 'slidable tray 5, preferably in the formof a trough, made of non-corrosive metal and extending the full lengthof the vessel. The tray has drain openingsor holes l0 so thatthesterilizing liquid may be drained of of the instruments and tray whenthe vessel is in the position illustrated. One end of the tray 5 issupported by a U-shaped leg or standard 'I formed soas to be easilyslidable within the vessel or flask. The other end of the tray rests inthe neck 4 of the vessel as shown at E in Figure 1.

The vessel or flask l is held inthe position illustrated in Figure l bymeans of a'support 8, which in this case is slipped over the outside ofthe vessel or flask, but which also might be made integral with thevessel. The support 8 has two opposite and parallel iiat surfaces orbases Il in order that it may support the vessel either in the positionshown in Figure l or in inverted position.

In the operation of my sterilizer, a sufficient amount of thesterilizing liquid is rst poured into the vessel I to cause the level ofthe liquid 9 to reach approximately to the height indicated' in Figure41 when the vessel is supported in its normal position by the support 8,the top level of the liquid thus being below the ybottom of the neck 4and the offset location of the neck thus preventing any escape of theliquid when the vessel rests in this position and the cap is removed.The tray 5 is then pulled out through the neck 4 and opening 2 a shortdistance to facilitate the placing of the instruments in the tray,Whereupon the tray with the instruments thereon is pushed back into thevessel. The cap (not shown) is now firmly secured on the outside of theneck 4 to seal the opening 2. Next, the sterilizer is inverted causingthe instruments to become immersed in the sterilizng liquid which willhave passed to the opposite side of the vessel I. After the instrumentshave been immersed for a suicient length of time for sterilization, thesterilizer is again returned to its normal position causing theinstruments to fall back onto the tray 5 and the sterilizing liquid tobe drained from them and from the tray. When the instruments are desiredfor use, the cap is remo-ved from the neck 4, and the tray is pulled outa short distance to facilitate the lifting of the instruments from thetray. Finally the tray is pushed back and the cap replaced to preventevaporation of the sterilizing liquid until the sterilizer is againused. In this way very little loss of the sterilizing liquid occurs andthe liquid may be used many times with resulting economy.

It is to be understood that various modifications may be made in thestructure of the different parts of my sterilizer which would still comewithin the scope of my invention as set forth in the attached claims.

I claim:

1. A sterilizer of the type described including a vessel, thecross-sectional area of which has one dimension greater than the other,a neck and opening at one end of said vessel, said neck and openingbeing circular in cross-section, the diameter of said neck and openingcorresponding approximately to the lesser of the two dimensions of thecross-sectional area of said vessel, said n eck and opening beinglocated nearer to one lateral edge of said vessel than to the other, anda tray in said vessel, the width of said tray corresponding to thelesser of the two dimensions of the cross-sectional arca of said Vessel,drain openings in the bottom of said tray, one end of said traysupported by said neck, a leg attached to said tray supporting the otherend of said tray, and means for supporting said vessel on one side withsaid neck and opening in raised position when the instruments to besterilized are placed in or removed from said vessel and means forholding said vessel on the opposite side with said neck and opening inlowered position during the sterilizing of the instruments in thevessel.

2. In a sterilizer of the type described, a vessel the cross sectionalarea of which has one dimension greater than the other, an opening atone end of said vessel, the width of said opening correspondingapproximately to the lesser of the two dimensions of the cross-sectionalarea of said vessel, said opening being located nearer to one lateraledge of said vessel than to the other, a sealable closure for saidopening, and a slidable tray in said vessel, the width of said traycorresponding appro-ximately to the Width of said openino' said trayextending the full length of said vessel, drain openings in the bottomof said tray, the outer end of said tray supported in said opening,means attached to the inner end of said tray for supporting it on thebottom of said vessel when said vessel is in normal position, and meansfor supporting said vessel in normal position on the bottom side withsaid opening in raised position when the instruments to be sterilizedare placed in or removed from said vessel and means for holding saidvessel in inverted position on the opposite side with said opening inlowered position during the sterilizing of the instruments in thevessel.

3. In a sterilizer of the type described, a flask, the cross-sectionalarea of which has one dimension greater than the other, an opening atone end of said flask, a neck extending about said opening, said openingbeing circular in cross-section, the diameter of said openingcorresponding approximately to the lesser of the two dimensions of thecross-sectional area of said ask, said opening being located nearer toone lateral edge of said liask than to the other, a sealable closure forsaid opening, and a slidable tool rest in said flask, the width of saidtool rest corresponding approximately to the diameter of said opening`said tool rest extending the full length of said flask, one end of saidtool rest adapted to rest in said neck, means for supporting the otherend of said tool rest in said flask when said flask is in normalposition, and means for supporting said flask in normal position on thebottom side with said opening in raised position when the instruments tobe sterilized are placed in or removed from said flask and means forholding said flask in inverted position on the opposite side with saidopening in lowered position during the sterilizing of the instruments inthe ask.

4. A sterilizer comprising, a container elliptical in cross-section, anopening at. one end of said container, the width of said openingcorresponding approximately to the lesser of the two dimensions oi thecross-sectional area of said container, said opening being locatednearer to one lateral edge of said container than to the other, asealable closure for said opening, and a tray in said container, thewidth of said tray correspending approximately to the width of saidopening, said tray extending the full length of said container, drainopenings in the bottom of said tray, the outer end of said tray adaptedto rest in said opening, a leg attached to said tray supporting theother end of said tray, and means for supporting said container innormal position on the bottom side with said opening in raised positionwhen the instruments to be sterilized are placed in or removed from saidcontainer and means for holding said container in inverted vposition onthe opposite sidewith said openingin lowered position during thesterilizing of the instruments in the container.

ANTONE O. MICKELSEN.

